Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

World Heritage Sites: Liverpool

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey have made to UNESCO to ensure that Liverpool does not lose its UNESCO World Heritage status.

Baroness Barran: The UK is a world leader in cultural heritage protection and Liverpool's World Heritage Status reflects the important role the city has played in our nation's history. DCMS continues to work closely with UNESCO, Liverpool City Council and Historic England to ensure that Liverpool does not lose its UNESCO World Heritage status. Most recently, the Minister for Digital and Culture met senior UNESCO representatives on 10th June.

World Heritage Sites: Liverpool

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage status following the decision by the Secretary of State not to call in the planning application for the Everton Stadium.

Baroness Barran: The UK is a world leader in cultural heritage protection and Liverpool's World Heritage Status reflects the important role the city has played in our nation's history. We are working closely with UNESCO, Liverpool City Council and Historic England to ensure that Liverpool retains its World Heritage status.

Cabinet Office

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported statement by President Macron that Northern Ireland is not a full part of the United Kingdom.

Lord Frost: We do not comment on private diplomatic exchanges. The Government believes it is important that all discussions related to the Northern Ireland Protocol take place on the basis of the clear statements in the Protocol itself that it respects the UK’s territorial integrity (Article 1(2)) and that Northern Ireland is part of the UK’s customs territory (Article 4) and internal market (Article 6(2)).

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote NHS England's and NHS Improvement's Good Communication with Patients Waiting for Care,published on 25 May, to local integrated care systems and NHS trusts.

Lord Bethell: NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working to promote the guidance via corporate channels, including a range of system-facing bulletins and networks. The guidance and communication principles have also been built into other relevant publications including the Clinical Prioritisation of Diagnostic Waiting Lists Framework.

Health: Disadvantaged

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of making health creation a priority for a post-COVID-19 health and social care service.

Lord Bethell: We have not made a formal assessment. However, the community and place-based approach aligns with our priorities in promoting integrated care and provisions through integrated care systems in the forthcoming Health and Care Bill.

Health: Disadvantaged

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Health Creation Alliance Primary Care Networks and place-based working: addressing health inequalities in a COVID-19 world. A partners perspective, published on 13 April.

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Health Creation Alliance Primary Care Networks and place-based working: addressing health inequalities in a COVID-19 world. A partners perspective, published on 13 April, what consideration they have given to ensuring every Primary Care Network employs a Strategic Relationship Development Lead whose role is to build relationships between primary care, communities and local partners.

Lord Bethell: No assessment has been made. However, the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work with key stakeholders to consider the best ways to tackle health inequalities.The five-year framework for the General Practitioner Contract included a commitment to introduce a service specification through which Primary Care Networks will identify and address the most pressing health inequalities in their local area. This will be supported by new members of staff employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This scheme includes roles such as social prescribing link workers, whose focus includes identifying and supporting local voluntary and community groups to become sustainable and that community assets are nurtured.

Health: Disadvantaged

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the summary by the Health Creation Alliance Building Back Together: 10 key messages, published on 13 April.

Lord Bethell: We welcome the key messages set out by the Health Creation Alliance and their view that 'health creation' is a route to wellbeing through local partnership working. At the core of the 10 key messages are principles of community level engagement with health and social care, ensuring a voice and a role for the community for the benefit of wider population health. These principles align closely with the proposals for integrated care systems (ICS) we have set out in the upcoming Health and Care Bill. By placing ICS on a statutory footing, we are embedding more power and autonomy in the hands of local systems, to deliver seamless person-centred health and social care services. This will enable more joined up planning and provision, both within the National Health Service and with local authorities, enhancing the services people receive.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government on whatdate they will publish the outcome of their consultation on gamete (egg, sperm) and embryo storage limits, which closed on 5 May 2020.

Lord Bethell: We aim to publish the Government’s response to the consultation before the summer recess.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the statistics on the number of patients who have had to wait in excess of 12 hours for admission to the hospital from the time of their arrival in accident and emergency departments in England.

Lord Bethell: NHS England and NHS Improvement are considering a 12 hour measure in emergency departments as part of its clinically-led review of standards. It has undertaken a public consultation and will respond in due course.